salted oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies

This cookie has it all. The perfect balance of salty and sweet. If you enjoy the texture of a traditional oatmeal cookie, these Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies have that covered. You’ll find huge chunks of dark chocolate, sweet chewy raisins, lots of quality vanilla with a topping of flaky salt.

These beauties were inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe for Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies found in her book titled, Make It Ahead. I did my usual tweaking here and there, but as usual, full credit must be given to the Barefoot Contessa.

Your list of ingredients…

• Unsalted butter – Be sure to have your butter at room temperature before starting. Straight-from-the-fridge butter won’t cream properly, so it’s important to use room temperature butter when baking.
• Dark brown sugar – Lightly packed when measuring.
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract – Best to use pure vanilla extract. Made from only natural vanilla beans, water and alcohol, pure vanilla extract provides a richer, deeper flavor profile with additional aromatic notes that the artificial version lacks. 
• Eggs – Large eggs at room temperature. In a pinch, place your cold eggs in a cup of hot tap water for a few minutes to take the chill off.
• Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. If you need to make these cookies for your gluten intolerant friends, switch out the flour with your favorite gluten-free version.
• Baking soda – When added to the batter, the baked cookies have a soft and fluffy texture. Baking soda also helps baked goods to brown. 
• Salt – Finely ground table salt is fine.
• Old-fashioned rolled oats – Regular or quick-cooking oats will work equally well. If making gluten-free cookies, be sure the package is labeled Certified GF.
• Chocolate – Bittersweet (60%) chocolate is highly recommended here. Ghirardelli is readily available in most stores and, so far, doesn’t contain bio-engineered ingredients. If you have the time, chop up several bars into chunks. When limited for time. their bittersweet chocolate chips are a good substitute. If making gluten-free cookies, be sure the package is labeled Certified GF.
• Raisins – In the original version of this recipe, dried cranberries are used. Since my family really enjoys the sweetness of raisins, I make that substitution often. But when you make these guys with those dried cranberries, the tartness of the cranberries adds a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the cookies.
• Flaky sea salt – For finishing. Sea salt flakes have the biggest crystals of all salts that have irregular shaped crystals. These big flat salt crystals do not make for great baking or precise measurements, but they are ideal for adding pops of crunchy salty goodness to your finished dishes.
• Pecan halves – Totally optional. When pressed onto the center of each cookie before baking, they make an extra special presentation. And so delicious.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line several large sheet pans with parchment paper.

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar & granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• On low speed, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time.
• Scrape down the bowl again.

You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or your hand held mixer will work as well.

• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda & salt into a medium bowl.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture.
• Be cautious not to overbeat it.

Need to make gluten-free cookies?

This is where you’ll make the switch using gluten-free flour. Either Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or their Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour works well here.

Also be sure that your oats and chocolate are Certified Gluten-Free. A good choice for your oats would be Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. Both the traditional and quick-cooking are gluten-free.

For the chocolate, I’m a fan of Ghirardelli. They guarantee that their cacao baking bars, squares and chips are made without gluten-containing ingredients.

• Add the oats to the mixture.
• From this point forward, mix by hand with a rubber spatula or a large wooden spoon, so that the texture of the oats isn’t dramatically affected.

If you haven’t yet chopped your chocolate, now’s the time. If you’re on a tight schedule or your supplies are limited, you can use chocolate chips here.

But I do highly recommend chopping your chocolate into irregular sized chunks by hand. Using that key ingredient and method is what takes these cookies to that bakery quality level.

If you have a bit of extra chocolate on hand, create some extra chunks that can be added to the top of each cookie.

• Once the oatmeal is fully incorporated, add the chocolate chunks along with the raisins.
• Continue stirring by hand until the dough is well mixed.
  

When the chocolate chunks and raisins are well mixed in with the batter, it’s time to prepare your cookies for the oven. For each cookie, you’ll use about a tablespoon-and-a-half of the batter. You can use two spoons by maneuvering them to form a fairly round ball of batter. Or, better yet, use a small cookie scoop. It’s amazing how easy the whole process can be. 

• With a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons), scoop round balls of dough onto the prepared sheet pans.
• For smaller cookies, use a 1-tablespoon scoop.
• Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until nicely browned.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

You’re about to experience the deliciousness of your very own homemade Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Helpful hints…

• Make a gluten-free version by swapping out the flour. Also be sure to use certified gluten-free oats and chocolate.
• If you prefer cookies that are thin and crispy, gently flatten the balls of batter to your desired thinness before sprinkling with the flaky salt.
• If you prefer cookies that are more chewy on the inside, chill the balls of dough for 30 minutes before baking.
• To make ahead, scoop balls of dough, place them in sealed containers and refrigerate for up to one week. Or freeze for up to three months.
• Bittersweet chocolate can be replaced with semisweet chocolate or milk chocolate. Or any combination of the three can be used.
• Traditional rolled oats or quick-cooking rolled oats can be used interchangeably with no noticeable difference in the final texture.
• Instead of raisins, use the equivalent of dried cranberries. Or a combination of the two.
• Omit the topping of salt for those with sodium-intake issues.

Here’s my latest take on Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies…

• Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to form each cookie.
• Once placed on the baking tray, make an indentation in the center with your thumb or finger.
• Place a pecan half there and press down gently so that it’s submerged in the dough.
• Dot the top of each cookie with a few extra chocolate chunks.
• Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake as directed.

• Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake since they may take less time.
• For a more chewy texture, remove the tray from the oven as soon as you note a slight browning of the edges.
• If you prefer cookies that are more crispy, give them another minute or two.

Whatever version of these Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies you make, your family is certain to be grateful. 

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